


Tell Him

by JerseyGirl



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Break Up, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Love Confessions, M/M, One Shot, Requited Love, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-07
Updated: 2012-07-07
Packaged: 2017-11-09 09:24:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/453916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JerseyGirl/pseuds/JerseyGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Danny don’t know it, but they’re struggling with the same exact thing in a moment that has the potential to change their lives forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tell Him

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Celine Dion’s and Barbra Streisand’s song “Tell Him.” You can find the full lyrics in the end notes.

Danny was there. He’d reached the point where he had to either man up and do it, or lose her forever. 

She sat there across the table from him, always so beautiful, always with a gorgeous smile and soft eyes showing him how much she cared. 

And he did, too. That was the thing that was killing him. He loved Gabby. But… 

He looked away. 

“What is it, Danny?” she asked, reaching across the table and laying her hand atop his. The music playing in the background of the fancy restaurant seemed to fade away when he looked up into her eyes. “You can tell me.” 

His heart felt like it was it was going to break. And when he turned his hand upside down so he could clasp her hand, he could feel he was trembling. He shouldn’t do this. He shouldn’t ask her to marry him, because no matter what, it wasn’t fair to her. 

Because while he loved Dr. Gabrielle Asano, cared about her, loved how well she got along with Grace, there was one thing standing in the way of him being able to give himself to this woman completely. One person, standing there with his big gargantuan self blocking the way that could lead to happiness for the rest of Danny’s and Gabby’s life but for his presence. 

And the hell of it was, Steve McGarrett had no idea he was there at all. 

* * *

Steve stood outside Danny’s dark apartment. The skies had clouded over; it was well after nine at night, that much he knew. 

He also knew, thanks to a hint from Chin, that Danny had purchased an engagement ring earlier in the week when the two of them had been coming back from questioning a suspect in Waikiki while Steve and Kono were following a lead in downtown Honolulu. 

Which meant Danny was going to make things with Gabby just about permanent. And the fact that he wasn’t here on a Saturday night, the fact that Danny was still out at this hour, meant he was probably doing it right now. 

Steve swallowed hard, eyes boring holes through the window into the nice two-bedroom apartment Danny’d been in for only about three weeks now. Steve had been there as much as possible, but the more involved with Gabby Danny had become, the less Steve was seeing him socially, and really, that told Steve what Danny wouldn’t tell him with his own mouth. 

Danny was getting ready to marry for a second time. 

Danny was going to become someone’s husband. 

And he would never know. 

He would never know that Steve’s world began and ended with him. That his sun only rose because it meant seeing Danny again. That it only set when Steve knew Danny and Grace were safe. 

Steve felt like some kind of creepy stalker standing there in front of Danny’s apartment door when he knew his partner wasn’t even home. But he couldn’t make his feet move; they felt like they were encased in the cement of the sidewalk beneath them. 

His heart was breaking as he envisioned Danny getting down on one knee, holding the ring up in his hand, looking into Gabby’s tear-filled eyes, and asking her to spend the rest of her life with him. 

And there wasn’t anything Steve could do about the fact that he so deeply, so irrevocably, loved a man who had no idea at all that he was everything to Steven J. McGarrett. 

Everything. 

* * *

Danny watched Gabby close the passenger door behind her. She turned, leaned down to look at him through the open window. “I’m not mad at you, Danny,” she said softly. “If your heart belongs to someone else, better I know now than after I agreed to become your wife.” 

He didn’t deserve her. She should be yelling at him, throwing things at him like Rachel had when they fought. Gabby should be hating him, but all he saw from her eyes was compassion and it made him feel like a total heel. 

“I’m sorry,” was all he could say. “You’re too good for someone like me.” 

“No,” she said, shaking her head and giving him a small smile. “But I will tell you something, Daniel Williams.” He looked up and met her eyes. “Whoever it is you love so desperately…you need to tell them. They’re a very, very lucky person to have your heart so completely.” 

With that, she turned and walked up to her house. He waited until she was safely inside, until he saw her living room light go on, and then put the Camaro in gear. 

The unused engagement ring sat in the center console tray unused. Mocking him, telling him what a fool he was for letting go the best chance he had at making a family. What a fool he was for having fallen for his work partner. A work partner who was a _man_ , on top of everything else. 

Heart heavy, shoulders slumped, he pointed his car toward his apartment. 

It was a very real possibility that he’d be spending tonight crying his eyes out…something he hadn’t done in _years_. 

* * *

Steve didn’t really have a clue how long he’d been standing there in the dark. None of Danny’s neighbors had come or gone in that time, though, leaving him unmolested as he’d watched the darkened window, eyes flicking sometimes to the front door, sometimes to the nearby street when a car passed. 

Half of him hoped one of these times, that car would be Danny’s Camaro returning. 

The other half of him prayed it wouldn’t, because Gabby would probably be with him, and how the hell would Steve explain his presence there to Danny, let alone to both him _and_ his new fiancée? 

What the hell could he do for Danny, anyway? He couldn’t give him more children. He didn’t have the soft curves of a woman’s body Danny had so often talked of loving. He didn’t have breasts, a vagina, the things Danny liked. All he had was hard muscle, tattoos, a dick and his ass, and Danny wasn’t like that. Steve had been, on and off, attracted to guys throughout his life. 

But what he felt for Danny was way the hell more than attraction. _Way_ the hell more. Sure, he’d found himself staring at Danny’s ass outlined in those tight pants he wore. At his chest, at the hair covering it so thoroughly. He’d found himself gazing once or twice into his partner’s eyes for way too long, coughed and looked away to cover it up. 

But he wasn’t want Danny wanted, and he certainly wasn’t what Danny needed. Not with his fucked up family life, thinking his mom was dead and then she’s not, thinking he could trust Joe, no longer believing he could. Not even sure if his father had integrity or was just as dirty as Wo Fat. Wo Fat and the Yakuza still after him one way or another. 

What did he have to offer? A home that’d been shot up more than it’d been lived in happily by anyone? A home where lies filled the airspace to capacity? His own fucked up psyche, years of a confidential history he couldn’t share? 

Steve shook his head and looked down at the sidewalk. He needed to leave. He needed to get past this, because he’d lose Danny as a friend and partner if he didn’t, and if he couldn’t love Danny the way he longed to, then at least he’d still have him in his life in some way. 

A familiar sound broke through his morose thoughts and it made his breath catch. 

He turned slowly, and saw the Camaro pulling into the parking lot. 

Danny was driving. 

And he was alone. 

Steve still had a chance to sprint away down the sidewalk before Danny saw him. 

But he couldn’t. 

He couldn’t _move_. 

All he could do was stand there, heart threatening to pound its way right out of his throat, breath becoming ragged as the car came closer and closer. As Danny pulled into his parking spot, right in front of where Steve was standing. 

Their eyes met through the windshield and Steve felt fear fill him, because rather than looking deliriously happy like a man who’d just proposed to his love, Danny looked like he was about ready to _cry_. 

But Danny held his gaze. He didn’t look away. He didn’t immediately get out and start ranting at McGarrett for being a crazy ninja stalker freak. He just shut the Camaro’s engine off and stayed where he was. 

Then he gripped the top of the steering wheel, bowed his head forward, and rested his forehead on the backs of his hands. 

Steve didn’t know what to do. 

What was going on? 

What was wrong? 

Had Gabby said no? 

Had they broken up? 

What? 

_What?_

* * *

Danny couldn’t believe it. It was like Fate was being extra cruel to him tonight, of all nights. He’d thought to come home, strip off his clothes, and lie in bed pretending Steve was there, pretending a thousand things were true, that weren’t. 

And then to look up as he drove in only to see the object of his obsession, the very reason he’d broken things off with Gabby rather than having proposed to her, standing outside his apartment like a stray puppy…it broke something in him. He was frozen for a moment, having no idea what to do. 

What would happen when he got out of the car? To be fair, Steve looked as much like a deer in headlights as Danny felt _he_ looked, but _why_ ? Was it because Danny had caught him creeping around outside his apartment while he wasn’t there? Maybe something had happened, to Steve’s mother, to his sister…to _Steve_. Something he needed his best friend for. 

Right now, Danny didn’t think he could be McGarrett’s best friend. Because right now he was hurting too much to be his _own_ friend, let alone someone else’s. 

When he raised his head, it was to find his partner still standing there, still staring at him. He saw something in Steve’s face he hadn’t ever seen before. Something he wasn’t quite sure he understood. It looked almost like Steve was…scared. 

Steve McGarrett was _never_ scared. 

It meant something bad had happened. It meant Danny needed to man up and be there for him. It meant he needed to get out of the car, walk up to him, invite him into his apartment and ask him what was wrong. 

So he got out of the car. 

He walked slowly up to his partner. 

He looked up into his eyes. 

Steve looked like he was _hurting_. Maybe almost as much as Danny. He knew his partner had broken up with Lieutenant Rollins over six months ago. Had they maybe gotten back together and then broken up again? Was that what was wrong? 

* * *

Steve was scared to death. 

Danny was standing there before him, looking into his eyes with concern. Like maybe he knew something was wrong, _knew_ what Steve couldn’t bring himself to say out loud. 

All Steve knew was that he was shaking like a leaf, and having a bitch of a time trying to disguise it. When he reached up to rub the end of his nose, he saw Danny’s eyes follow the movement. Danny noticed, the concern in his eyes notching up several levels. 

Steve stuffed his hand back into his pocket. 

Danny was in love with Gabby. He had to get that through his thick skull. But then _why_? Why had Life sent him this five-foot-five man so full of personality, of love, of caring? So open to accepting Steve and his ways…to accepting _Steve_ …even at the same time he bitched about the fact that he felt like he’d been given no choice in the matter? 

If Steve reached out to Danny now, he’d give everything away. Because one touch, and he wouldn’t be able to stop. He wouldn’t be able to hold back the words he’d said to Danny secretly in his mind so many times now that he’d lost count. 

He wouldn’t be able to stop wanting to touch him, kiss him, hold him. He wouldn’t be able to hold back everything he felt, and Danny would…what _would_ Danny do? 

Would he push him away, call him a psycho, yell and wave his arms around? 

Would he shake his head, cluck his tongue, and think to himself what a poor, fucked up bastard my friend is? 

Steve didn’t know. 

But when Danny gestured toward his apartment door and moved around Steve to go there, all Steve could do was turn and follow him. 

Because he would follow Danny anywhere. 

Even to a place that would burn his heart and soul to ashes. 

* * *

Danny stepped inside his cool apartment, flicked on the small lamp on the table next to the door. His sparsely-furnished living room was spotless from the cleaning fit he’d had in the morning when he’d anticipated bringing Gabby back here tonight after proposing to her. 

The light cast a faint glow all over the room, making it look surreal, almost. 

He turned, watched Steve enter. Watched Steve close the door behind him, lock the deadbolt, lock the knob lock, slide the chain into place. 

He had so much he wanted to say to this man. So much he was feeling, all jumbled together until it was making him physically ill, his stomach doing somersaults. 

“What happened?” was what Danny finally managed to get out. He hated the tremor he heard in his voice. 

Steve turned to look at him. “I was going to ask you that,” he replied, and if Danny wasn’t mistaken, was _his_ voice shaky as well? 

Danny turned away, sighed, made it halfway across the room before he just stopped, felt himself deflate, couldn’t take another step. 

“I had to break up with Gabby,” he confessed, figuring at the very least, it was the truth, and not something he would have to divulge too much about, if he knew his partner’s penchant for steering conversations away from anything personal. 

But Steve was suddenly right there behind him. He registered his presence before he was even conscious of the fact that Steve had moved at all. Slowly he turned, closing his eyes, because Steve was too close right now. Too damn _close_. And Danny was close to losing what little sense of self-preservation he had left. 

At least if he reached out and hugged him, or God forbid, leaned up to kiss him, he’d have that to carry with him as Steve slowly beat the shit out of him in response. 

* * *

“What?” Steve asked. So they _had_ broken up. But “why, Danny?” 

He watched Danny shake his head, open his eyes, look up and meet his gaze. “I was going to propose to her tonight.” 

Steve swallowed hard. “And?” 

Danny looked away. “I couldn’t do it.” 

Steve wanted to touch, oh, _God_ , how he wanted to touch…he felt like everything in Danny was reeling everything in _him_ closer and closer, like moth to flame, like paper clip to magnet, like he was going to go _insane_ if he didn’t _touch_. 

So he _did_ touch. 

He reached out and placed his hand on Danny’s shoulder, only to feel Danny’s body shaking beneath it. 

“Don’t,” Danny breathed, looking back up at him. “Please don’t.” 

“Don’t what? I…Danny, I’m sorry about Gabby, I…” Steve had no idea what to say. That he _wasn’t_ really sorry? His friend was hurting, hurting _so_ bad, written in every line of his face, pain etched into the blue of his eyes. “What do you need?” he asked, because he’d give Danny _anything_ right now. _Anything_ to make the hurt leave his face. 

“Something you can’t give me, Steve.” Danny smiled sadly, reached up and took Steve’s hand off his shoulder. “Maybe you should just go.” 

He let Steve’s hand go, but his hand where Danny had touched it was on _fire_. He swallowed hard. This was his chance. Somehow, it felt like he had to say something, to stop this from spiraling so far out of his control that there’d never be a chance of him getting anything back at all. 

“How do you know I can’t give it to you?” Steve asked, standing his ground even though he felt like turning and crashing through the living room window to get away. “How do you know if you don’t ask?” 

Danny gave him a strange look, and Steve felt his heart pick up speed again, only this time because…could it be…that look Danny was giving him…did he _dare_ allow even the tiniest bit of hope? 

* * *

Danny just couldn’t find the words. What was Steve offering here? He wasn’t thinking along the same lines Danny was, it just wasn’t possible! He was thinking along best friend lines, bro lines. What one guy does for another guy when he’s hurting, like how Matt had gotten Danny through the post-divorce months. 

“Because,” Danny said, then felt his voice die in his throat. He looked away. “I love you, okay?” he whispered, and then felt hot and cold all over because why the _hell_ had he just said that? Out _loud_ , oh my _God_ he wanted to _die_ he just wanted to pick up his service weapon and shoot himself in the _head_ and then… 

…then… 

Then he was engulfed in Steve’s arms. 

Feeling Steve’s chest heave against his. 

Face buried in Steve’s neck. 

Being held. 

Being touched by large hands running up and down his back. 

“Oh, God, Danny,” Steve whispered into his ear. 

It all sent Danny’s mind spinning out of control, what was _happening_ , what was…was that what he thought it was? Was he feeling…his partner having an _erection_? 

Danny swallowed hard, because his own body was betraying him as well. 

How could this be? 

How could Steve want him this way? 

Steve pulled back, just enough that he could place his hands on both sides of Danny’s head, hold it still, force Danny to look into his eyes. 

“Everything,” was what his partner whispered, and then leaned close. Danny had a split second to realize he was going to kiss him before it happened. 

And when their lips met, everything came rushing out of Danny like a speeding freight train. He wrapped his arms up and around Steve’s neck, pressed his body as close to his as he could, smashed his lips against Steve’s so hard it _hurt_ , and he whimpered and Steve responded in kind, holding his head in place, then pressing his tongue against Danny’s lips until Danny’s mouth opened, relenting, welcoming, _wanting_. 

Steve’s hands roamed down from his head, along his shoulders, down his sides, around to his lumbar, moved lower and cupped both sides of his ass. Steve ground his hips into Danny’s. Danny gasped, pulled away, breaking the kiss, looked up at Steve in disbelief. 

“I love _you_ ,” Steve said. “You’re everything, Danny.” He shook his head, a small smile on his face. “Sun, moon, you name it.” 

What Danny had longed to hear. 

All Danny wanted. 

Right here, standing in his arms. Confessing his love. 

And all Danny knew to do, then, was show his partner…his best friend…the man that he loved…that he felt exactly the same way. 

A tender caress of Steve’s cheek. 

Gentle fingertips exploring his chest. 

Even their movements as they rutted against each other through their pants, somehow slow and soft in nature. 

Coming quietly with a sigh, sharing breath, clutching at each other like they would die if they let go. 

Making their way back to Danny’s bedroom, shedding their clothes, wiping themselves off, eyes riveted to each and every inch of the other’s more and more exposed bodies until at last there was nothing left to either’s imagination. 

And when Steve fell into Danny’s bed, arms bringing Danny with him, and began to kiss every inch of his body slowly, sweetly, carefully…Danny felt his heart turn from singing to soaring. 

All he’d had to do was tell him. 

And he’d gotten everything he’d wanted. 

“Danny, Danny,” Steve whispered between kisses to his chest, up his neck. “Danny.” 

Steve stopped, looked into Danny’s eyes. Danny smiled, and Steve returned it. “Never letting you go now,” Danny said. 

And he meant it. 

“Good,” Steve replied, and leaned down to press a kiss to the corner of each of his eyes. 

That night, in the presence of no one but themselves, in a fulfillment of years’ worth of longing and love and desperation for what only the other could truly provide, they came together over…and over…and over. 

Proving their love. 

Proving to each other that it was real. 

With words. 

With touches. 

With their hearts. 

**Author's Note:**

>  **“Tell Him” **  
> ****\--Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand  
> 
> 
> I'm scared, so afraid to show I care  
>  Will he think me weak if I tremble when I speak?  
>  Ooh, what if there's another one he's thinking of?  
>  Maybe he's in love, I'd feel like a fool  
>  Life can be so cruel, I don't know what to do  
> 
> 
> I've been there with my heart out in my hand  
>  But what you must understand  
>  You can't let the chance to love him pass you by  
> 
> 
> Tell him, tell him that the sun and moon rise in his eyes  
>  Reach out to him  
>  And whisper tender words so soft and sweet  
>  I'll hold him close to feel his heart beat  
>  Love will be the gift you give yourself  
> 
> 
> Touch him with the gentleness you feel inside, I feel it  
>  Your love can't be denied, the truth will set you free  
>  You'll have what's meant to be, all in time you'll see  
> 
> 
> Ooh, I love him, then show him  
>  Of that much I can be sure, hold him close to you  
>  I don't think I could endure if I let him walk away  
>  When I have so much to say  
> 
> 
> Tell him, tell him that the sun and moon rise in his eyes  
>  Reach out to him  
>  And whisper tender words so soft and sweet  
>  Hold him close to feel his heart beat  
>  Love will be the gift you give yourself  
> 
> 
> Love is light that surely glows  
>  In the hearts of those who know  
>  It's a steady flame that grows  
> 
> 
> Feed the fire with all the passion you can show  
>  Tonight love will assume its place  
>  This memory time cannot erase  
>  Your faith will lead love where it has to go  
> 
> 
> Tell him, tell him that the sun and moon rise in his eyes  
>  Reach out to him  
>  And whisper, whisper words so soft and sweet  
>  Hold him close to feel his heart beat  
>  Love will be the gift you give yourself  
> 
> 
> Ooh, never let him go


End file.
